1. Complete the Bin Laden execution mission
2. Air lift all women and girls out of Taliban areas and leave the vile, rotten acid throwers to themselves.

One has to say also that the Afghanistan and especially the Pakistan situations are very troubling. Like Thom Meehan says in a way we simply have to keep going after bin Laden. And to pull out of Afghanistan totally—beyond denying us a base to do that—also is problematic given the nation-building rationale we (foolishly) gave for staying in there in the first place.

I’d be happy pulling out of Afghanistan totally anyway I think saying that our beef was simply with it harboring al Queda and so long as it refrains from same its internal affairs are its internal affairs. And go after bin Laden from elsewhere once in awhile, if for no other reason than to try to honor our duty to avenge our dead.

But you have to admit that it has its downsides. Loss of that base to go against bin Laden, probable return of the Taliban and thus very possibly/probably al Queda too, loss of face for pulling out, loss of a base on the border with Iran when who-knows-what might happen there and in any event perhaps removing what the Iranians might see as a restraining factor….

If anything Obama is going to find himself under fire from his Left staying in Afghanistan and whacking at Obama in Pakistan once in awhile. Seems to me he might benefit from some understanding and defense from the rest of us with what seems his obvious extemporizing there now.

The man’s trying to feel his way forward through a very complex and dangerous situation. That strikes me as a better way forward than just the blind acting on simplistic cliche’s and dogmas that seems to have been what our last Administration considered thoughtful decision-making.

The American public needs the cathartic resolution of knowing that the enemy who struck us at home is dead. We owe it to the victims.

The Muslim world sees vengeance as part of the principle of justice. If we fail to pursue Bin Laden we admit his status as a righteous warrior.

The killing of civilians in the tribal areas is regrettable but inevitable given the use of guided weapons. The locals would have more respect for us if we used spies, assassins, or even proxies than the cowardly manner of the Israelis, hiding behind our technology. Of course we need to decide if the respect of Muslims is worth it.

The central kernel of our dilemma is that a clash of civilizations is in progress and Bin Laden is not so much a bad Muslim as an extreme one. So we can be dupes of the Israelis and go on a crusade. Or we can pretend that there is no clash and that we are all brothers. Or we can own our own Westerness and follow a policy of containment and where necessary, belligerence in the furtherance of limited attainable goals. I think the third option is necessary but in view of the decadence of our own culture and political class, it’s unlikely.

The absurdity of our current mentality is highlighted in todays news that a CIA Station Chief, and self proclaimed convert to Islam, is under investigation for date raping Muslim women.

I doubt that those with enough influence in the Obama administration are willing to admit that Afghanistan (and now apparently Pakistan) is a lost cause and was never winnable in any traditional sense. So we will squander more resources, kill more civilians, and create more terrorists in the Middle East, while turning our country into a police state. It’ll be just great for Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The American taxpayer, as always, will get the shaft.

Re the mailed fist metaphor, Obama has to be careful not to give the Republicans and also the Dem hawks any ammunition to use against him so he has to project national security tough and, for the same reason, one should not expect that he will actually be able to change anything in the near term. It will be interesting to see how George Mitchell responds to the Israeli moves to end the truce with Hamas even as he arrives in the ME, in effect showing Mitchell who is boss. Will he respond at all?

Also interesting to watch the internal Dem debate. Juan Cole, who knows virtually everything there is to know about the Middle East and Central Asia vs. Taylor Marsh? Taylor Marsh?